Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-07-13
DRAMA IN WINNIPEG.
A BARN STORMING COMPANY'S Ex-
pERlENCE IN MANITOBA.

pERlENCE IN MANIT TOBA.
An audience Of Indians, TraPpers and
Tr.d-r--PIaying to Enormous Houses.
A Primitive Th.atr~-Two Perform
an.-s in One Night-Reeeipts.
Charles Arnold who is now star actor
in England, tells of his visit 10 Manitoba
in this fashion: I'VE were advised to
visit that place, as no dramatic company
had Il. that time been there. Accordingly
n littl. party, numbering sixteen members
of the stock company from Montreal,
journeyed 1000 miles to Winnipeg, which
was then a little village. This was in '.9
or 80 There were no public lights, pave
ments or roads in the city which con-
sisted of one street only. Winnipeg was
inhabited by Indians, half breeds and
few English settlers We opened in the
Market hall, Immediately over the jail,
and our performances We're enliyened by
the shrieks of the Indians and half breed
women. who had taken too much fire
water
Il was very much disgusted with the
noble red mamie is nothing but beg
gar, after all The ideal Indian that
Fenimore Cooper refers TO is simply
knocked on the head | found one in
telligent Indian, nephew of Sitting Bull,
who had been educated AT a college in Min
neapolis found he had a decided taste
for the drama, and from our repertoire of
twenty pieces he selected Gilbert's En-
gagged and 'Pygmalion and Galatea' as his
favorite plays. Except for the novelty Of
the life, there was little amusement for us
in Winnipeg The hotels were so crowded
that we had 10 live in tents. We slept on
the prairie, and for amusement we bor-
rowed a~few laths. obtained some fish
hooks, and went along the banks of the
brooks spearing frogs. This was great
fun, Us We speared three or four dozen Of
these edible reptiles in an hour. A most
delicious supper was obtained from their
legs, which were dipped in egg batter,
rolled in biscuit paste and fried in boiling
fat
I'VE played to enormous houses in
Winnipeg. Indians and half breeds made
up our audiences, and every one seemed
flush of money. Many carried rolls Of
bills about with them. There were no
coppers used, and a half dime was the
lowest coin. While we We're in Winnipeg
the mayor Of Emerson, a small town Of
500 Inhabitants, came up and said thew
had never had dramatic performance
and insisted upon our visiting that place.
He said there was not much in the way
of a theatre, but that they had an old
bonded warehouse full of agricultural inn
plements, soap boxes, brandy and cham
pagne cases and by clearing those out he
would rig up a first class auditorium.
Having two days 10 spare we decided to
visit Emerson, and upon entering the
place We were received by the inhabitants
with a great ovation. A committee Of
ten had been appointed to clear out the
building which was nothing but barn,
with windows on the ground floor. \
hole was cut in the building for purposes
of exit, and another exit was constructed
from the platform on to the prairie, where
tents had been rugged up for the com
pany, There was no house for mile
around. and we had To dress in the tents.
"At night there was big house, every
one coming 10 town on horseback. Ii
seemed like big horse fair, rs the ami
mails were picketed in the bushes around
the building. and now and again we We're
startled by II shrill neigh from their direc-
ton. The committee of ten citizens,
headed by the mayor, had done their
work well, and while the old warehouse
did not present n very inviting appear
ance it served a purpose. The stalls, or
back seats consisted Of soap and candle
boxes, brandy and champagne cases placed
in rows in front of the stage mo extra
charge for champagne cases. may add
that the cases were not empty. Each
seat represented dozen or two of brandy
or champagne. The committee saw that
no liberties were taken with the seats u.
We performed Lester Wallack's 5 military
drama, ''Rosedale." which seemed TO
please our audience greatly. The lady
members of our company had lively
time of it all through the performance, as
the mosquitoes insisted on making their
presence felt in a most uncomfortable
manner 1t was laughable to see the
gentle slaps the victims gave during the
more serious portions Of the play 10 rid
themselves OF the singing pests.
''On the second night of our stay we
performed The Shhughrsun,' with all the
effects, revolving tower, etc. At the con-
clusion Of the second act the committee
waited on me and requested that We pro-
long our visit another night. This could
not be done, as We had engagements to
meet elsewhere, but it occurred TO me that
We could give another performance that
night We could fiEish playing The
Shaughraun' at l0:45 O'Clock, and by dis
missing the audience for fifteen minutes
start again with another play at ! i o clock.
| announced this TO the audience and was
received with cheers and cries OF Play all
night Well, we finished The Shaugh-
raun, and the male portion of the audi
ence retired to the prairie, while | collect
ed the admission fee for the second per-
formance from the ladies. who remained
seated; the gentlemen then returned, pay
ing at the door.
AT Ills we commenced the second
programme, which consisted of a bur
lesque on Canadian politics, entitled n.
NJ s. Parliament. written to 'Pinafore'
masic. Each character was made up TO
represent a prominent Canadian states
mtn. Our orchestra was small church
organ, played by our conductor. That
was my first experience of playing twice
in one night, and there was only twelve
shill.ngs difference between the two
houses. The people paid two shillings to
look in the windows to see the perform
ance. Some borrowed and others stole
ladders SO that they might peep through
the upper windows, as the house would
only hold 400 or 800 people. .''-Brookly
Eagle
Sleeping Alone.
1t il very much healthier to sleep alone
The unhealthfulness Of two persons Occu-
pying the same bed very much depends on
I.. ,,hv al NJ aif